Congressional Committees Assignment Name: Assignment Overview: Your main goal in this assignment is to discover how committees influence the lawmaking process. Additionally, you will research the roles of the more powerful Congressional Committees.
I. Role & Importance of Congressional Committees: 1. Using this link, summarize why it is important for Americans to know about the workings of Congressional committees.
2. Watch this video. Describe what the legislative process would be like if there were no Congressional committees.
3. Why would a bank be more likely to donate campaign contributions to a congressional representative on the banking committee?
II. Learning about the Powerful Congressional Committees:
Name of Committee
Succinctly Describe the Committee’s Jurisdiction
List the current Chairperson & Ranking Member from the Minority Party
How many Subcommittees are currently in the committee?
Evaluate why this committee is considered a ‘powerful’ committee
III. Learning about ‘Earmarks’: 9. Describe the meaning of an “earmark”’ in fewer than 15 words. Use this resource and any other resources to help you.
10. List the pros & cons of members of Congress utilizing ‘earmarks’.
12. View the ‘earmarks’ sponsored/co-sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards. 12a. Based on your analysis of the data, do you feel Edwards has helped allocate funding for any illicit/controversial items? Explain.
12b. List the ‘earmarks’ Edwards has helped allocate for the Hyattsville/College Park/Beltsville area.
12c. What is your view on ‘earmarks’? Should they be banned, allowed, regulated differently? Explain.
Assignment Overview: Your main goal in this assignment is to discover how committees influence the lawmaking process. Additionally, you will research the roles of the more powerful Congressional Committees.
I. Role & Importance of Congressional Committees:
1. Using this link, summarize why it is important for Americans to know about the workings of Congressional committees.
2. Watch this video. Describe what the legislative process would be like if there were no Congressional committees.
3. Why would a bank be more likely to donate campaign contributions to a congressional representative on the banking committee?
II. Learning about the Powerful Congressional Committees:
III. Learning about ‘Earmarks’:
9. Describe the meaning of an “earmark”’ in fewer than 15 words. Use this resource and any other resources to help you.
10. List the pros & cons of members of Congress utilizing ‘earmarks’.
11. Why do the House Appropriations Committee & the Senate Appropriations Committee, respectively, utilize ‘earmarks’ more than other committees.
12. View the ‘earmarks’ sponsored/co-sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards.
12a. Based on your analysis of the data, do you feel Edwards has helped allocate funding for any illicit/controversial items? Explain.
12b. List the ‘earmarks’ Edwards has helped allocate for the Hyattsville/College Park/Beltsville area.
12c. What is your view on ‘earmarks’? Should they be banned, allowed, regulated differently? Explain.